For those that have asthma, and use an inhaler…If your doctor has not already informed you…it is not only important to thoroughly rinse your mouth after using your inhaler but also the inhaler itself! You are told to rinse your mouth after using your inhaler usually to get rid of the inhaled medication in your mouth after that puff. Otherwise it has been said that it can leave a bitter after taste in your mouth, lead to a hoarse voice or fungal growth. About the same health risk can become present if you don’t rinse the inhaler as well. Most people do one or the other. It is important to do both as they become apart of their hygiene routine. If you do not rinse your inhaler after using, you increase you chances of developing a fungal infection in your mouth OR a yeast infection. GROSS! Symptoms of this can be white foam in your mouth. I was disgusted when informed of this. At my placement, the subject came about because one of my sponsor’s patient’s with asthma, used a inhaler but did not take precaution of using the correct hygiene. His wife expressed that he had been using the same the inhaler for years, but did not use the healthful methods because they were unfamiliar with the health risk it could cause, and were not told to do so. My sponsor immediately informed them of the health risk. Advise anyone you know that has asthma and utilizes an inhaler to through with the sanitation needed to maintain good hygiene when using their inhalers.
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